Article carrier



Nov. 16', 1954 w E, JR 2,694,488

ARTICLE CARRIER v Filed June 50, 1949 3 Shee'ts-Sheet l Nov. 16, 1954 w.B. CRANE, JR 2,694,488

ARTICLE CARRIER Filed June 30, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

WZZZZamZD. 6mm]:

Z MWW Nov. 16, 1954 w. B. CRANE, JR 2,694,433

ARTICLE CARRIER Filed June 30, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

5 0mm, J;

United States Patent ARTICLE CARRIER William B. (Irene, J12, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application June 30, 1949, Serial No. 102,311

4 Claims. (Cl. 2tl665) This invention relates to article carriers and ismore particularly concerned with improvements in devices for carryingcans or similar containers filled with merchandise of the charactergenerally offered for sale in retail stores.

It is an object of the invention to provide an article carrier of thetype described, which is simple in construction, which may be readilyapplied to the cans or other containers to be carried, which may beeconomically manufactured from paperboard or similar material and whichis relatively inexpensive so that it may be discarded after a singleuse.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a containercarrier which comprises an integral onepiece paperboard blank, cut andcreased so that it may be attached to a plurality of cans or similarcontainers without any substantial change in the conventional method ofpacking and shipping the latter.

It is another object of the invention to provide a carrier of the typedescribed which may be furnished to the packer in a plurality of flatconnected units for application to the merchandise cans or othercontainers after they have been positioned in an outer packing case,such as, for example, a standard shipping carton which accommodatestwenty-four cans arranged in four rows of six cans each, the carrierunits being readily separable so that the merchandise may besubsequently removed in units of a predetermined number of cans attachedto each carrier and displayed in a stack with the units superposed aboveeach other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier fabricated froma single sheet of paperboard material which is die cut and creased toprovide a central rib portion and laterally extending handle and tabforming portions, the tab forming portions being adapted to be securedby a suitable adhesive to the tops of a plurality of cans or similarcontainers, and the handle forming portions being adapted to be foldedinto upstanding relation with the top portions brought adjacent to eachother to thereby form a triangular frame above the cans and provide ahandle for carrying the same.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a one-piece articlecarrier of the character described in which the tab portions providedfor attachment to the individual containers are cut and scored to permitthem to be shaped to conform to the contour of the top of the canirrespective of whether the surface of the top of the container isconcave, convex or ridged.

It is another object of the invention to provide a carrier of the typedescribed in combination with an adhesive coating which is of thepressure-sensitive type whereby the carrier blank may be placed on thetops of a plurality of cans and the tab portions may be ad hesivelysecured to the tops of the cans by heat and pressure, the handle formingportions being unsecured and freed for movement into upstanding handgripping relation.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the carrier and modifications thereof which are shownby way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an article carrier embodying theprinciples of the invention which is attached to a half-dozenmerchandise containers, with the handle portions being arranged inupstanding relation ready for use;

'Fig. 2 is a plan view of the carrier shown in Fig. 1;

2,694,488 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 Fig. 3 is a transverse section, to anenlarged scale, gie section being taken generally on the line 33 of Fig.4 is a partial section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the carrierattached to a container having a concave top;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and creased to providefour connected carrier units;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a standard shipping case of twenty-fourmerchandise containers having four connected carrier units arranged onthe top thereof;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of carrier attached to ahalf-dozen merchandise containers;

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of a paperboard blank cut and creased toprovide the modified form of carrier shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a further modified form of carrierattached to three merchandise containers; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and creit sed 9toprovide the modified form of carrier shown in 1g.

In the distribution and sale of bottled goods, a unit package of sixbottles in a cell-like container with a handle is frequently provided.The use of this type package in the marketing of bottled goods hasgreatly facilitated the handling of this merchandise. The celllikecarriers for such packages are generally adapted to support the bottlesfrom beneath and to permit the purchaser to pick up the package andcarry it from the store without any further wrapping of the same.

It has long been recognized that a similar multi-unit package ofmerchandise put up in other containers, such as cans or the like, whichcould be readily handled by the customer, would be useful, particularlyin the large retail stores and similar establishments. Merchandise suchas canned milk and canned beer, for example, has been packaged forretail sale in cellular cartons, but such cartons usually contain adozen cans. A package of a smaller number of cans has not beenconsidered entirely practical because of the substantial expenseinvolved in providing the cartons and handling the same in the packingoperation.

Referr ng to the drawings, there is illustrated a simple, inexpensive,paperboard carrier which facilitates the handling in packaged units of apredetermined number of cans or similar containers of merchandise. Thecarrier, as illustrated, is adapted to be attached to a plurality ofcans of milk, beer or similar products and to combine the same into asingle package.

in order to facilitate the use of the carrier in connection withstandard loading and packaging equipment the carriers are preferablysupplied to the packer in units of four for assembly with the cans orsimilar containers in a standard shipping carton which carton ordinarilyreceives one or more layers of twenty-four cans, as shown in Fig. 6. Thefour connected carriers 10, which are illustrated in Fig. 5, are cutfrom a single sheet or length 11 of paperboard or similar material. Eachof the four carrier blanks is identical and each constitutes a carrierfor a unit package of six cans of merchandise.

Each of the four carrier blanks i0 is separably connected to theadjoining two blanks by perforated or rtially cut transverse andvertical lines 12 and 13. The blanks 10 are preferably cut to providecorners which are rounded and the waste material is removed before theunits 11 of four connected blanks are delivered to the packer.

Each carrier b ank ill is scored along two parallel, central,longitudinally extending transversely spaced lines 14 and 15 whichdefine a central longitudinally extending panel 16. The score lines 14and 15 are symmetrical about the longitudinal center line of the blank10. The portions of the blanks ill which extend outwardly of the scorelines 14 and 15 form side panels 1'7 and 13. The side panel 17 is cutand scored to pro ide an upstanding h ndle or gripping portion and threelaterally extending abs or wings 19, 20 and 21 for connection to thetops of the merchandise containers 22 which are arranged in twolongitudinal rows of three containers. The center tab 19 is formed by acurved outer cutting line 23 laterally spaced from the crease line 14and two longitudinally tend from the ends" of'cutting -lines 23 "to the"crease line 14. The tab 19 is divided by a central transverse cuttingline 26 and a longitudinal extending crease line 27 to facilitate itsattachment toithentop of the central containerri22l The cutting lines 24and 25 are extended outwardly 'at 28 and;29. to theends of alongitudinallyextending .crease line 30-to=fornra foldable handlereinforcing-tongue. or flap 31'; At-the oppositeends'of the panel.17irregular generally; UTshaped :cuttingclines '32fandv33zextend later.-allyzof the creaseline: 14-and form the. end tabs 20 and 21. which areadaptedto-besecured tothe tops of the:end containers 22. in the row-ofthree containers: Thetabs 20 and 21." are'dividedzbylaterally. extendingcutting lines 34- and: 35. and.longitudinally extending crease lines 36and1.3l to facilitate their. attachmentzto "the tops of the containers22.

The panels 17 and 18 are cut and creased in. identical manner-,tpanel 18being-provided with tabs 38, 39, 40 and handle-.reinforcingtongue 41which correspond to the tabs 19., 20, 21 and-the. handle reinforcingtongue 31, respectively, of" the panel 17.

Tabs 19, 20 and 21 of panel 17 and tabs 38, 39'and 40-of-panel 18 areprovided on one side with-a suitable adhesive-, as indicated at 42, 43and 44 in Fig. 5, for securing the same to the topsof the containers.The adhesive areas-42, 43 and 44 extend across the adjoining portions.of-the central -panelx16 between the transversely aligned tabs of thepanels 17 and 18 for a purpose which will i be described.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the carrier is attached to the tops of thecontainers 22 .with tabs 19, and 21 secured to the tops of one row ofcontainers 22 and tabs 38, 39 and.40- secured tothe tops of the otherrow of containers 22.: The adhesive areas preferably extend into the.central..panel-16 and provide for attachment of this paneltothe-upwardly projecting rim edges 45 of the adjoining. containers asindicated at 46' in Figs. 3 and 4. With the tabs securely adhered to thetops of the containers 22 the panels 17 and 18 are hinged upwardly aboutthe crease lines 14 and 15 to bring them into upstanding handle forming.position, the tongue members 31 and 41 being folded to. one sidetoreinforce the portion of the carrier which 'is gripped by the hand ofthe user. The cutting linesv 28, 29. which define the ends of thereinforcing tongue 31-andthe corresponding cutting lines forming theends of reinforcing tongue 41 are curved so that when the tongues arefolded over they are interlocked or retained in .engaged position. Theupstanding panels 17 and. 18 form with the central panel 16 a triangularshaped carrier frame which is relatively rigid and which is braced bythe triangular form against lateral movement. Each of the panel members17 and 18 is connected to the central panel 16 .by the fourlongitudinally spaced integral strip members which remain when the tabsare cut out. The weight of the containers is distributed through thesefour connecting strip members.

The carriers 10 are preferably supplied in units of four (Fig'. 5) tothe packer for application to .the tops of the containers'22 during thepackingoperation. After the containers 22.have been. inserted in theouter shipping container or carton .47, which is conventionally formedto'receive twenty-four containers 22, the four connected carriers 10 areapplied .to the .tops of the containers. 22 by means of a suitableheated press or.similar tool. In this manner, the carriers 10 maybeapplied to the containers 22 during the packing operation by merelyseparating the filling and closing mechanism in the conventional packingarrangement sufficiently to insert suitable mechanism for feeding thecarriers 10 and applying the same by heat and pressure. When the packedshipping carton 47 is received in the retail store the carriers 10 maybe readily separated from each other and facilitate unpacking andstacking of the merchandise for display. They permit the retail dealerto make an attractive display of the packaged units and also encouragethe retail shopper to'buy the unit rather than a smaller number ofcontainers 22. The carriers 10 may be printed with advertising or othermatter as desired. Preferably the handle forming portions of the carrierare provided with a distinctive color to facilitate the erection of thesame by the merchant or purchaser.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is illustrated a modified form of barrier whichis indicated by the numeral 50. The blank forming the carrier 50 iscreased along the transversely spaced parallel crease lines 52 and 53 toprovide a central panel'51 and out along the lines 54, '55"and56,57 toprovide U-shaped handle formations 58 and 59 and central tab formations60 and 61. The blank is cut at the ends to provide tabs 62, 63 onopposite sides of central tab 60 and tabs 64, 65 on opposite sides ofcentral tab 61 with the outer edges of the tabs being rounded. Theattaching tabs 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 are provided with a suitableadhesive which preferably extends into the central panel 51 in the samemanner as in the form of carrier shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

The carriers 50 are preferably formed in units of four and are connectedto'each other by transverse and longitudinally extending perforatedlines 66 and 67 which may be broken after the unit has been inserted andattached to the contents of the twenty-four container outer packingcarton. In this form of the carrier, the carton is erected by foldingthe handle formations 58 and 59 upwardly about the crease lines 52 and53 to bring theminto juxtaposed relationship and .to permit the user-tocarr-y the packaged unit. Thetcontainers' are, ofcourse, secured by theadhesive to tabs 60, 62,63, on one side=of the carrier and to tabs 61,64, 65 on the other side of the-carrier'50."

The twoforms of the carrier. which have been described are designed-toform a packageof six units of merch'am dise. The carrier may be modifiedto accommodate a different number of merchandise containers; Forexample, the carrier'illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 may be moditied foruse with two containers by merely omitting the end portionsincludingattaching tabs 62, 63, 64and 65 and forming the carrier the proper sizefor attachment of the two'tabs-6tl, 61 to the tops of two containers.

In Figs. 9 and 10 there is illustrated a modified form of the carrierparticularly designed for use with threemer chandise containers. In thisform of the device prefen ably six carriers 70 are fabricated as a unit71 from a single length of paperboard material. The carriers70-areidentical and are defined by' longitudinal"and-transverse perforatedlines 72 and 73 which permitready separationeither before or afterattachment to the containers;

Each of the blanks forming the carriers 70 is" cut alongthe parallellaterallyspaced longitudinallyaextending pairs of lines 74', 75 and 76,77 and alongkthe transversely extending curved lines 78'and 79. Thecurved transverse cutting lines 78 and 79 connectthe outer ends of therespectivepairsof' longitudinal cutting lines 74, 75 and 76, 77 to formattaching tabs 80 and 81.- The longitudinal cutting lines 74,- 75 and76,77 terminate at their inner ends at the inner endsof transverseoutwardly extending crease lines 82, 83 and 84; 85 which are spaced fromthe transverse center line of the blank 70. The end portions of theblankwhich are separated from the tabs 80 and 81 by the cutting lines74, 75, 78 and 76, 77, 79 are adaptedto'be folded upwardly about thecrease lines 82, 83 and 84,-85-to form upstanding handle portions forthecarrier. The handle forming portion at one end is provided-with'areinforcing tongue 86 by the curved cutting lines-87,88 which extendfrom the'cuttinglines 74, 75 to the-transverse crease line 89 which isspaced outwardly of the cutting line 78. The handleportion at the otherend-Iis provided with a reinforcing tongue-90 formed-in the samemanner.by curved cutting lines 91,92 and crease line 93. Crossed cutting lines94, and crease -lines 96 in rectangular formation are provided inthe-centerof the blank to facilitate attachment tothe top of the centralmerchandise container. Longitudinal cutting lines 97', 98 are providedin the tabs 80 and 81' for the same purpose. A suitable adhesive isapplied-to the bottom face of the tabs 80, 81 and also to thecentralportion of the blank.

The carriers 70 are applied to the three=containers 99-by adhesivelyattaching the tabs 80 and 81 to the tops of the end containers and thecentral portion ofthe carrier to the top of the center-containen Whenthezhandle-forming end portions of the carrier are positioned' inupstanding relation the reinforcing tongues 86 and 90 may be foldedupwardly along one side of the handle portions in interlocking relationtherewith The particular adhesive employed'for 'attaching"the' tabmembers to' the tops of the merchandise containers depends upon thematerial from which the carrier is fabricated and the nature of thecontainer to which it is attached. A- large numberof adhesivesareavailable Solvent type adhesive Parts by weight A second viscositynitrocellulose 100 Dibutyl phthalate 80 Maleic hardened rosin glycerolester resin 8 Butyl acetate 70 Ethyl acetate 70 Toluene 100Thermoplastic or hot melt type adhesive Parts by weight Ethyl cellulose,Sec. viscosity ethoxy 47.5 approximately Glycol sebacate 10 Hydrogenatedrosin 6 Emulsion type adhesive Parts by weight Cyclicized rubber productof U. S. Pat. 2,230,359 130 Methyl abietate Water 140' Wettingagent,-triethanolamine salt of sulphonated laurel alcohol 10 In allforms of the carrier which have been illustrated the adhesive has beenshown applied to the tabs and to the adjoining portions of the centralpanel member. When a heat sensitive adhesive is employed it may be moredesirable in certain cases to coat the entire bottom surface of thecarrier with the adhesive rather than the individual tabs. By using theadhesive in this manner the manufacture of the carriers may befacilitated, since they can be prepared from adhesively coated stock andcut and printed as desired.

In all forms of the carrier the tabs or tongues provided for attachmentto the top surfaces of the merchandise containers or other articles maybe slit and/o1 creased to facilitate attachment to particular surfaces,

it being desirable to have the tabs conform generally 1 to the surfacesto which they are attached for providing maximum areas of attachment.

While specific materials and details of construction have been referredto in describing the illustrated forms of the invention, it will beunderstood that other materials and other details of construction may beresorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a carrier member and a plurality of articlesarranged in side-by-side row forming relation adhesively suspendedbeneath said carrier member, said carrier member being formed from afoldable blank cut and scored to provide an elongated generallyrectangular central panel and integral side panels, said side panelsincluding article engaging tab formations extending laterally andsubstantially in the plane of the central panel, said tab formationseach being adhesively secured on its bottom surface to the top surfaceof one of said articles and said side panels including generallyU-shaped portions foldable about the side edges of said central panelinto cooperating upstanding handle forming relation.

2. A package comprising a carrier member and a plurality of articlesarranged in side-by-side double row forming relation adhesively attachedto bottom face portions of said carrier member, said carrier memberbeing characterized by an elongate generally rectangular central paneland integral side panels, said side panels being divided intolongitudinally spaced article engaging panel formations extending onopposite sides and in the plane of the central panel, said articleengaging panel formations each being adhesively secured on its bottomsurface to the top surface of one of said articles and said side panelsincluding portions foldable about the side edges of said central panelinto cooperating upstanding handle forming relation, said last mentionedportions being generally U-shaped and encompassing the article engagingpanel formations when in flattened position.

3. A package comprising a carrier member and a plurality of articlesarranged in side-by-side double row forming relation adhesivelysuspended beneath said carrier member, said carrier member comprising acut and scored blank providing an elongate generally rectangular centralpanel and integral side panels on opposite sides of said central panel,said side panels being divided into longitudinally spaced articleengaging tab formations extending laterally and substantially in theplane of the central panel, said tab formations each being adhesivelysecured on its bottom surface to the top surface of one of said articlesand said side panels including strip portions extending laterally ofsaid central panel between said tab formations and longitudinal marginalportions connecting the outer ends of said strip portions, said stripportions being hingedly connected at their inner ends to the side edgesof said central panel and being movable into cooperating upstandinghandle forming relation above said central panel.

4. A carrier for three articles arranged in row formation, said carriercomprising a blank of relatively flex ible material die cut and creasedto provide a central panel portion, and tab formations extending onopposite sides of said central panel, said central panel having anadhesive on the bottom surface thereof and being shaped to adhesivelyengage the top of the central article, said tab formations having anadhesive on the bottom surface thereof and being shaped to adhesivelyengage the tops of the end articles, and generally U-shaped handleformations having the legs thereof hingedly connected on opposite sidesof said central panel and being foldable into upstanding cooperativehandle forming relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,492,100 Krueger Apr. 29, 1924 1,524,399 Krueger Ian. 27,1925 2,158,697 Harrison May 16, 1939 2,171,615 Wesselman Sept. 5, 19392,248,234 Hickman et al July 8, 1941 2,252,235 Snelling Aug. 12, 19412,397,716 Wendler Apr. 2, 1946 2,452,485 Obernauer Oct. 26, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 752,811 France July 24, 1933

